Question: How do you maintain fresh herbs from the market? It seems like I use just a small amount of, say, cilantro, and then the rest just goes bad. Should I keep them in water or dry them?

Answer: "Rosemary Pete" Vinci, the herb seller at several Charlotte, N.C., area farmers markets, said fresh-cut herbs are similar to fresh-cut flowers. Water will keep them fresher. Keep a small vase in the kitchen for holding bunches of fresh herbs. If you put a plastic bag over them and refrigerate them, they keep well. Change the water every day or so. The exception is fresh dill. It gets slimy in water, and you can't root it in water, either. For herbs such as dill or packages of herbs that aren't cut with the stems still on, you can wrap them in a paper towel and tuck them in a plastic bag. Leave the bag open to let them breathe a little and keep them in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. And yes, you can dry most fresh herbs, although some don't dry well, particularly cilantro. Vinci dries his herbs spread on a screen placed in the sun for three to five days. You can also spread them on a baking sheet and leave them out on a counter for a couple of days. If you bundle and hang them, they take about a month to dry. Finally, the best way to keep a supply of fresh herbs in the kitchen is to simply grow them. Most herbs do great in small pots in a windowsill. Then you can pinch off what you need whenever you want.

- McClatchy News Service

Pick up that melon

Of all the hard-to-choose fruits, watermelon's got to be one of the toughest to select.

The hard rind of a watermelon can be up to an inch thick and doesn't soften as it ripens. It's green when ripe, green when unripe. So, how to select a watermelon wisely? And how to use it wisely?

Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises, cuts or dents. And handle with care: A watermelon dropped 12 inches can be bruised inside even if it doesn't crack.

When you see a nice-looking watermelon, pick it up and feel its heft; then pick up a few others of similar size to compare. At 92 percent water, a good melon should feel heavy for its size. Seeded varieties tend to be sweeter because the seed cavities cause it to be riper.

How do you know a watermelon ripened on the vine? Turn the melon over and check for a creamy yellow spot. That's a sign that the watermelon sat on the ground and in the sun to ripen. The yellow spot is the only place the sun didn't hit. If you are buying a cut section instead of a whole melon, look for bright color and firm flesh. The flesh should not look mealy or watery. But unless it looks bruised, a cracked interior usually is nothing to worry about. It just means the melon underwent temperature changes in transit.

- McClatchy News Service

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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